St Dunawd's Church, Bangor Is-coed
Encyclopedia
St Dunawd's Church, Bangor Is-coed, is in the village of Bangor is y Coed
, Wrexham County Borough, Wales
. It is a Grade II* listed building. The church is an active Anglican church in the deanery of Bangor is y Coed, the archdeaconry of Wrexham and the diocese of St Asaph
.
which was established about 560 by St Dunawd, the first abbot of the monastery. The monastery was destroyed in about 616 by Æthelfrith of Northumbria
when 1,200 monks were killed and only 50 escaped. No trace of this monastery exists.
In about 1300 a sandstone
church was built on the site of the monastery. The chancel
from this building is still extant. The church was restored between 1723 and 1726 by Richard Trubshaw; this restoration included the bell tower
. The north aisle
was altered in 1832. The architect John Douglas
was married in the church in 1860 and in 1868 he carried out a restoration of the church. This included the extension of the south aisle to form a baptistery
and restoration of the chancel. Douglas carried out a further restoration in 1877 which included the addition of a half-timbered
porch. In 1913 the vestry
was built and the organ was repositioned.
-like finial
s. The chancel has a five-light east window dating from the 14th century, and a two-light window on the south wall of the chancel. The north aisle, dating from 1832, has Perpendicular style windows.
Internally, the stalls and rails date from 1868, while the pews and pulpit
were added in 1877. The pulpit
is carved with pierced tracery
panels and sunflower
patterns. Douglas' organ screen was resited in 1913. The font
cover was designed by Evelyn Wybergh. The former reredos
dating from 1725 is now at the west end of the church. The brass lectern commemorates three brothers who died in the |First World War.
The ring
consists of six bells. Four of these were cast in 1727 by Abraham Rudhall II
, one was cast in 1811 by John Rudhall and the sixth was cast in 1865 by Mears and Stainbank
.
Bangor-on-Dee
Bangor-on-Dee is a local government community, the lowest tier of local government, part of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It is a village in the ancient district of Maelor in Wales, situated on the banks of the River Dee...
, Wrexham County Borough, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. It is a Grade II* listed building. The church is an active Anglican church in the deanery of Bangor is y Coed, the archdeaconry of Wrexham and the diocese of St Asaph
Diocese of St Asaph
The Diocese of Saint Asaph is a diocese in north-east Wales, named after Saint Asaph, its second bishop.-Geography:The Anglican Diocese of St Asaph in the north-east corner of Wales stretches from the borders of Chester in the east, to the Conwy valley in the west, to Bala in the south-west, and...
.
History
The church is built of the site of a monasteryMonastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
which was established about 560 by St Dunawd, the first abbot of the monastery. The monastery was destroyed in about 616 by Æthelfrith of Northumbria
Æthelfrith of Northumbria
Æthelfrith was King of Bernicia from c. 593 until c. 616; he was also, beginning c. 604, the first Bernician king to also rule Deira, to the south of Bernicia. Since Deira and Bernicia were the two basic components of what would later be defined as Northumbria, Æthelfrith can be considered, in...
when 1,200 monks were killed and only 50 escaped. No trace of this monastery exists.
In about 1300 a sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
church was built on the site of the monastery. The chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
from this building is still extant. The church was restored between 1723 and 1726 by Richard Trubshaw; this restoration included the bell tower
Bell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
. The north aisle
Aisle
An aisle is, in general, a space for walking with rows of seats on both sides or with rows of seats on one side and a wall on the other...
was altered in 1832. The architect John Douglas
John Douglas (architect)
John Douglas was an English architect who designed about 500 buildings in Cheshire, North Wales, and northwest England, in particular in the estate of Eaton Hall. He was trained in Lancaster and practised throughout his career from an office in Chester, Cheshire...
was married in the church in 1860 and in 1868 he carried out a restoration of the church. This included the extension of the south aisle to form a baptistery
Baptistery
In Christian architecture the baptistry or baptistery is the separate centrally-planned structure surrounding the baptismal font. The baptistry may be incorporated within the body of a church or cathedral and be provided with an altar as a chapel...
and restoration of the chancel. Douglas carried out a further restoration in 1877 which included the addition of a half-timbered
Timber framing
Timber framing , or half-timbering, also called in North America "post-and-beam" construction, is the method of creating structures using heavy squared off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden pegs . It is commonplace in large barns...
porch. In 1913 the vestry
Vestry
A vestry is a room in or attached to a church or synagogue in which the vestments, vessels, records, etc., are kept , and in which the clergy and choir robe or don their vestments for divine service....
was built and the organ was repositioned.
Architecture, furniture and fittings
The tower is built in brick and stone. It has round-headed bell-openings and urnUrn
An urn is a vase, ordinarily covered, that usually has a narrowed neck above a footed pedestal. "Knife urns" placed on pedestals flanking a dining-room sideboard were an English innovation for high-style dining rooms of the late 1760s...
-like finial
Finial
The finial is an architectural device, typically carved in stone and employed decoratively to emphasize the apex of a gable or any of various distinctive ornaments at the top, end, or corner of a building or structure. Smaller finials can be used as a decorative ornament on the ends of curtain rods...
s. The chancel has a five-light east window dating from the 14th century, and a two-light window on the south wall of the chancel. The north aisle, dating from 1832, has Perpendicular style windows.
Internally, the stalls and rails date from 1868, while the pews and pulpit
Pulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...
were added in 1877. The pulpit
Pulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...
is carved with pierced tracery
Tracery
In architecture, Tracery is the stonework elements that support the glass in a Gothic window. The term probably derives from the 'tracing floors' on which the complex patterns of late Gothic windows were laid out.-Plate tracery:...
panels and sunflower
Sunflower
Sunflower is an annual plant native to the Americas. It possesses a large inflorescence . The sunflower got its name from its huge, fiery blooms, whose shape and image is often used to depict the sun. The sunflower has a rough, hairy stem, broad, coarsely toothed, rough leaves and circular heads...
patterns. Douglas' organ screen was resited in 1913. The font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
cover was designed by Evelyn Wybergh. The former reredos
Reredos
thumb|300px|right|An altar and reredos from [[St. Josaphat's Roman Catholic Church|St. Josaphat Catholic Church]] in [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]]. This would be called a [[retable]] in many other languages and countries....
dating from 1725 is now at the west end of the church. The brass lectern commemorates three brothers who died in the |First World War.
The ring
Ring of bells
"Ring of bells" is a term most often applied to a set of bells hung in the English style, typically for change ringing...
consists of six bells. Four of these were cast in 1727 by Abraham Rudhall II
Rudhall of Gloucester
Rudhall of Gloucester was a family business of bell founders in the city of Gloucester, England, who between 1684 and 1835 produced over 5,000 bells. The business was founded by Abraham Rudhall and the earliest ring of bells he cast was for St Nicholas' Church, Oddington in 1684. He came to be...
, one was cast in 1811 by John Rudhall and the sixth was cast in 1865 by Mears and Stainbank
Whitechapel Bell Foundry
The Whitechapel Bell Foundry is a bell foundry in Whitechapel in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, in the East End of London. The foundry is listed by the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest manufacturing company in Great Britain...
.